THE LAST SHIP Teasers: Nine Things to Know About Season 3

The Nathan James is headed to Asia when THE LAST SHIP returns for its third season as the cure is spread across the globe and humanity starts attempting to make life normal again. Captain Tom Chandler has been promoted to the Chief of Naval Operations, which keeps him in the US, while the Nathan James is now captained by XO Slattery and is in Asia for a humanitarian mission. As the action moves to the east and many of our characters begin the season in different places, here’s what you need to know about the season 3 premiere:

Rebuilding. It’s 154 days into Michener’s presidency and the American reconstruction plan has gotten underway. Power has been restored to much of the southwestern states. The new government is also working with the banks to restore the economy and instituting rations to keep food and required goods moving.

Rachel’s Fate. We will know within the first two minutes of the season premiere whether she survived the shooting.

A New Virus and Political Turmoil.Things are not as good in southern Japan as they are in the US. Dead bodies are strewn about and mothers are nursing their dying children. They have access to the cure, but it’s not working. Apparently China’s President Peng has been hoarding the cure for the Chinese, so it seems that a mutated virus is burning across other Asian countries (something that Rachel said wasn’t possible). Some members of the US government think Peng is trying to make a play for more of the region, but others warn that he’s their only real ally there and they can’t rush to condemn him. The rumour is that Peng killed the rest of the Chinese leaders in the state bunker and then waited out the plague next to their rotting bodies, which should give you an idea of how far he’s willing to go to hold on to his power.

New Life.Kara and Danny’s adorable son, Frankie, has been born, but Danny hasn’t met him yet. Kara is on land with Valerie (who is picking up some strange signal frequencies) and working for President Michener, while Danny is on the ship.

Moving the Action to China. Most of the Nathan James crew is over in the South China Sea, distributing the cure to other countries. At the same time, Michener has organized an Asian summit, which Peng is scheduled to attend, and Michener wants to send Chandler there to represent the US. If Peng won’t play ball, the U.S. is prepared to back someone else. Valerie tags along with Chandler as tech support.

An Old Flame and a New Ally.Chandler is surprised to meet Sasha, an old friend, over in China. She’s acting as a liaison to the Chinese government and it seems the two of them have a romantic history.

Political Confrontation.Chandler isn’t a man to hold back, so he goes for the jugular pretty publicly soon after stepping foot in China (as you can see in the sneak peek below). He makes it clear that he’s not afraid of Peng and the U.S. is prepared to spread the cure throughout the region.

MIA.As we head into the second hour of the premiere, someone makes a big move against the Nathan James crew in Vietnam, separating the leadership from the rest of the crew on the ship as they are taken hostage. Chandler, Wolf and Sasha head to Vietnam to try and get to the crew and we meet a new pilot who joins forces with them.

An Unstable Presidency? Things are also not as cherry back in the U.S. as we were led to believe. A lot of people don’t believe in the rationing system and prefer the old capitalist ways. Michener was also unelected, so there’s been pushback against his presidency.

Don’t miss the two-hour season premiere of THE LAST SHIP tonight (June 19) beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on TNT.